Rite Events: Officiant Services

09/09/2022

✨ On Hiatus starting now (September 2022) ✨

🌿 I am currently on a hiatus and will not be accepting new clients for any year at this time.

🌿 This does NOT affect my current bookings! For booked clients, it's business as usual.

🌿 At this time, I do not know how long I will be on hiatus. Many factors have contributed to this, the main one being scheduling uncertainty.

🌿 Please rest assured that me and mine are healthy, I just cannot guarantee my scheduling availability at the moment and do not feel comfortable taking on new business with all of the factors I cannot control staring me down.

❤️ Thank you for your understanding and support!

28/07/2022

‼️Rite Events was featured in a magazine‼️

❤️ Thank you for the feature opportunity, it truly means the world to me to be able to talk about Rite Events more intimately to a larger crowd.

🥳 I'm so excited to share this!

Please feel free to take a look: https://voyageohio.com/interview/inspiring-conversations-with-heather-southerland-of-rite-events/

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Southerland. Heather, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? I have always felt akin to “outsider” types; people that have a lot of soul, that try their best, that want a happy life… but th...

19/07/2022

📜 Fun Fact: I love literature! 📜

📖 Reading and writing have been passions of mine for as long as I can remember. I pull inspiration for my scripts from all of the literature that I have emersed myself in over the years.

💒 Literature is the perfect addition to wedding scripts, that is why I encourage my couples to brainstorm so that we can include what is meaningful to them in their special day.

📚 My personal favorites are poems, modern or classic. There are so many amazing poets to pick from, and of course, including your own writing is the number one best choice!

16/07/2022

💒 I don't know how these amazing couples keep finding me, but I am so thankful that they do...

🥂 To Mr. & Mrs. Hoover!

16/07/2022

🛻 This ol' beauty is one of my favorite venue accents to date.. ❤️

🥂 Mr. & Mrs. Hoover | July 16th, 2022 🥂

14/07/2022

📜 Ceremony Series: Final (Part 3) 📜

🌿 This is a 3-part series where I talk about the types of ceremonies I get approached with the most. If you missed it, please look for Part One where I talk about ceremonies & Part Two where I talk about ceremonies.

🌿 Hopefully this will explain a bit about what I plan with my clients, and even give you some ideas if you are planning your own ceremony!

🌿 In this post I'll talk about the type of ceremony that I find the most fun and creative: ceremonies!

💒 Key Takeaways 💒

1. What I mean by "unique" ceremony is that these types typically mix many elements together to create a very personalized wedding in celebration of the couple to be wed. This can include handfastings, themed weddings, pagan weddings, or ceremonies where the couple doesn't officially "wed" (no official documents from the state are signed).

2. I mentioned that these ceremonies are my personal favorites to perform. That is because I often get approached by a client that wants something completely different for their wedding, but they aren't sure who to ask because the officiant business can be difficult to navigate. They don't want to feel judged. I, however, LOVE for clients to give me their wildest ideas for us to discuss. I like to be brought wedding ideas that are off the cuff. So please bring me all of these types of weddings!

3. The only ceremonies I will refuse are those where I feel like the couple is not respectful of one another, or those where I am asked to risk losing my ordination status. We have to all be respectful of each other.

And as always, like with all of the ceremonies I perform, the couples are in charge of the tone and wording. I will make suggestions or guide where I am asked to, otherwise, the creative elements are decided by the couple. ❤️

13/07/2022

📜 Ceremony Series: Part Two 📜

🌿 This is a 3-part series where I talk about the types of ceremonies I get approached with the most. If you missed it, please look for Part One where I talk about ceremonies!

🌿 Hopefully this will explain a bit about what I plan with my clients, and even give you some ideas if you are planning your own ceremony!

🌿 In this post I'll talk about the type of ceremony that comes to mind when most people think "wedding": ceremonies.

💒 Key Takeaways 💒

1. Religious ceremonies have been the main type of wedding, and for eons the ONLY type of wedding, for as long as humans have been commiting their lives to one another in partnership. Each part of the world & culture has their own interpretation of marriage. Studying the history of religion and weddings has taught me just how diverse our collective traditions are.

2. In the spirit of diversity, I tailor my religious scripts to be just like I am. This means that not one religion takes the lead in my writing, but rather the spirit(s) that is(are) beyond us is(are) referenced and thanked. If my couples want specific traditions and religions to be a part of their ceremony, we can easily work it in.

3. The most common literature included are Bible verses and prayers, because the main type of religious ceremonies that I have performed have had Christian influences. The prayer that I wrote & use is a play off of the prayer that my grandfather uses at family gatherings, because his words are what mean the most and come naturally to me in the religious sense.

4. Like with all of the ceremonies I perform, the couples are in charge of the tone and wording. I will make suggestions or guide where I am asked to, otherwise, the creative elements are decided by the couple. ❤️

Stay tuned for Part 3, where I talk about my most favorite type of ceremonies... 👀

12/07/2022

📜 Ceremony Series: Part One 📜

🌿 This will be a 3-part series where I talk about the types of ceremonies I get approached with the most.

🌿 Hopefully this will explain a bit about what I plan with my clients, and even give you some ideas if you are planning your own ceremony!

🌿 Let's get started with the most common type I am asked to perform: ceremonies.

💒 Key Takeaways 💒

1. Non-religious ceremonies are exactly as the title implies; they simply omit verbiage that is tied to religion of any kind. There are many ways this can be done, because marriage scripts do not have to have religious overtones at all to express the love of the couple.

2. If a couple is slightly religious but is not tied to a religion, that preference is typically referred to as . I will cover those types of ceremonies in Part 2!

3. Because religion is not used in the wording of the script, I instead recommend my couples pick a piece of literature to include in their ceremony that has meaning to them, such as a famous quote or poem. They can even include something they have written themselves!

4. Like with all of the ceremonies I perform, the couples are in charge of the tone and wording. I will make suggestions or guide where I am asked to, otherwise, the creative elements are decided by the couple. ❤️

Stay tuned for Part 2, where I talk about religious ceremonies!

11/07/2022

💒 June 30th 💒

I am extremely grateful to Sam & Claire for giving me the chance to meet them & perform their ceremony. It was a beautiful, personal, perfect evening because of these two amazing beings and their families.

🥂 To The Mastersons!

10/07/2022

"Backroads raise us, highways take us, memories make us wanna go back..." -Kelsea Ballerini

Seeing my kids & husband experience my hometown with the same excitement I had as a child.. I can't describe the feeling. ❤️

04/07/2022

🇺🇲 Happy Birthday, America 🇺🇲

Lots of love to my fellow good-hearted Americans ❤️

Celebrate & hold your families tight today 💙

27/06/2022

I know, I know... It's June but I'm posting about Halloween. But stick with me!

I have Halloween 🎃 OPEN 🎃 on my 2022, 2033, & 2024 schedules!

If you or someone you know is still looking for their for their Halloween ceremony, I'd love to be considered.

Please visit my website https://riteevents.co & see if you think I'd be a good fit!

21/06/2022

☀️ Happy Summer Equinox! ☀️

🥂 Bring on the fun in the sun & even more fun summer weddings!

19/06/2022

❤️ Very thankful for my husband & partner, today and every day.

to all of our father figures.. 🥰

08/06/2022

💜 Update Regarding Ceremony Rehearsals 💜

{ I have updated my website with this information, but I also wanted to post here! }

Due to multiple factors, my ability to attend ceremony rehearsals in person is now limited. This applies to new/prospective clients as well as current clients who have ceremonies more than 45 minutes from my location. I will instead recommend that we have a detailed video call the week of your ceremony instead of me attending your rehearsal in person, so that all final elements and expectations are still discussed and everyone feels comfortable. Your quote will be based off of your event being a one-day event under this circumstance; I will not charge you for a rehearsal + ceremony if I am not attending your rehearsal in person.

If you are a current client that will have a ceremony that is more than 45 minutes from my location, either I will reach out to you closer to your ceremony date to offer this option & your contract will be reworked accordingly if you agree, or you may reach out to me first if you wish to discuss sooner.

I appreciate all of you, thank you for your understanding!

07/06/2022

💜 Your ! 💜

📝 Here are 3️⃣ personal & 3️⃣ professional FYIs about me:

🌿 Personally...

1. I love collecting unique books, mugs, and notebooks. I have way too many of all of them.. I should probably try to get it under control but where's the fun in that? 📒

2. My music playlist is stuck in the 90s and early 2000s emo phase that I am still technically in because Fall Out Boy & Evanescence never age out. Just sayin'. 🎧

3. I do enjoy nerdy things very much, thank you. The list is a long one, but if it involves sci-fi, fantasy, and action in any way, I probably love it. 👾

🌿 Professionally...

1. I absolutely love data science (my full time career ATM). I jumped head first into it about 2 years ago and I have loved it ever since. I have a couple of professional certificates in data science, but my main educational path of choice is the philosophical study of Metaphysics. My Bachelor's degree and current MBA are centered around Metaphysics. 👩🏼‍🏫

2. One thing that led me to start Rite Events was the fact that I also love to write. So English class, essays, research, all the stuff normal people hate.. it's my specialty. Actually, it's a good thing I have a huge notebook collection, now that I think about it. 🤔

3. Rite Events is the perfect combination of all of the things that I love to do, plus my want to help others, with my own personal flair added in. I love that I am able to take this journey, and I have big plans for Rite Events in the future. The one thing that will never change will be that I will always want to officiate weddings. ❤️

📸 The Crafty Witch Photography 😘

03/06/2022

A few photos from my branding session with the talented Andrena of The Crafty Witch Photography 🥰

How she managed to get these poses out of me I'll never know.. it's pure magic.. 🪄

I can't thank you enough, and I CANNOT wait to work with you again! I'm so excited to see your business take off; you're heading places!

Also, huge shout-out to Brevede Coffee Co. for allowing us to use their stunning cafe for the day! ❤️

02/06/2022

❤️ My main goal & motivator for becoming an officiant to the public was to provide a safe space for love.

❤️ I always have been and always will be an advocate & ally. And if you feel uncomfortable or out of place in your wedding search, know you have many people that are here to support and back you.

🏳️‍🌈 Me and my crew, we've got you...

31/05/2022

🥂 Cheers to Konnor & Mika!
💝 5/28/22

I cannot thank these two beautiful souls & their phenomenal planner Allison of enough for allowing me to be a part of their special ceremony..

a lifetime of happiness awaits!

18/05/2022

3️⃣ beautiful ceremonies coming up in the next month, then many more beautiful ceremonies to follow after...

📝Lots to plan for. Lots of excitement. Lots of happily ever afters.. 🥰

🙌 Let's do this!

Photo credit: Kina C.Photography

13/05/2022

Kina Cox of Kina C.Photography blessed me with these amazing photos, and I absolutely love them! Thank you, Kina! I can't thank you enough! I'll only post a few right now... I'll keep the rest under my belt & post over time!

09/05/2022

💒 I can legally perform ceremonies as an ordained minister in:

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📍
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🌎 While my ordaining organization is recognized worldwide, I only extend my services to areas close to my home... for now. Who knows how far my reach will extend in the future!

🌿 Important beginner information if you are planning to become ordained:

✅ Make sure your ordaining organization is legitimate & accepted by your state

✅ Make sure you have reviewed all laws in the state(s) you plan to officiate in; some states have specific requirements and may require you to register with them before you can perform a ceremony

✅ Establish for yourself what your personal boundaries will be as a professional officiant; for example, what types of ceremonies are you comfortable performing, etc?

✅ Other officiants are a fantastic resource; I have learned so much from my fellow officiant mentors

08/05/2022

💝 To all of the mother figures in our lives, we love you and thank you 💝

01/05/2022

🌻 the day, the venue, the people, and most importantly, the couple... absolute perfection...

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Tennis!

27/04/2022

💒 An extremely sweet gift from an extremely sweet couple...

💐 Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Glenn!

18/04/2022

Clients & Friends: I have deactivated my Thumbtack account, so I will not appear on that platform anymore.

I made this choice on my own, for the betterment of myself and my business.

Nothing bad happened, I promise. ❤️ Thumbtack overall has not been a useful resource for me, as it charges its Pros anytime they are contacted. I have been very blessed to have met those of you that I have through that service, but I no longer believe it is a good business choice for me regarding promotion or marketing. I'd much prefer the other sources I currently use: Facebook, Instagram, WedFolio, Eventective, Google, and Lex Get Married.

17/04/2022

💐 Easter
💐 Ostara
💐 Spring

🌿 Blessings to all 🌿

06/04/2022

🚨 First Blog Post 🚨

I finally reached the point where I could justify a blog for my business, and I named it "Thoughts from a Modern Officiant". Please feel free to read my first post, Thoughts on Tradition! I kept it short & sweet. ❤️

https://riteevents.co/blog

04/04/2022

It was my honor to marry this sweet couple and meet their family! Elopements have a special place in my heart, considering that is how my husband and I were wed.

★★★★★ "Heather was absolutely amazing. We messaged her last minute and asked to see if she could help. She immediately responded and was happy to help. Everything went smoothly and exactly what we expected. She is super sweet and helpful. Definitely recommend her services."

04/04/2022

A sweet review left by the amazing couple I had the pleasure of marrying in a LIBRARY! Dream come true all around!

https://goo.gl/maps/fi2nuyGvajFd65UR8

★★★★★ "Heather was amazing. She was super sweet and personable. She fit right in with our small wedding and performed a lovely ceremony for my husband and I. We werent sure about vows and we asked her to bring some examples and she had a lot of well written examples that made it easy to ch...

02/04/2022

These absolute stunners have so many ceremonies ahead of them... I can't wait to bring them to the alter with me. ❤️ 📜

18/03/2022

💒 💍Looking for a wedding ? 🤗💖 Rite Events is here for you!

15/03/2022

Being a non-denominational wedding officiant -slash- ordained minister means that inspiration for my scripts comes from all over. 📚

Not just that, but it means we have room to play with the script you would like for me to use for your ceremony! 💒

If it's meaningful to you, let's use it!

10/03/2022

💒 Wedding Season is gearing up, I can definitely feel it! I've spoken to and met so many amazing people recently. You ALL rock!

The upcoming ceremonies and events filling up my calendar... I could not be more thankful and excited. Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives! 🥰